For the first time in Canadian history, a lawyer has pleaded guilty to participating in the illicit activities of a criminal organization.

Vernon lawyer William Jacob Mastop entered the plea in B.C. Supreme Court Thursday, in the same high-security Vancouver courtroom where members of the Greeks gang were found guilty of murder Nov. 25.

Mastop admitted that he participated in, or contributed to, the criminal activities of the Greeks, five of whom were convicted in three brutal drug-related slayings dating back to 2004 and 2005.

Mastop, 46, will remain on bail until he is sentenced in the new year. His next appearance – to fix a date for a sentencing hearing – is Jan. 18.

The surprise guilty plea came as Mastop was due to go to trial next month.

His lawyer David Crossin began Friday’s proceedings by telling Associate Chief Justice Austin Cullen that he wanted to cancel jury selection, set for Jan. 8, and the trial, which had been scheduled to start Jan. 14.

The court clerk then read a new direct indictment containing one count, alleging that Mastop did “participate in or contribute to the activity of a criminal organization for the purpose of enhancing the ability of the criminal organization to facilitate or commit an indictable offence.”

Mastop stood up in the prisoner’s box and admitted his guilt.

He then left with Crossin after a few words with two family members who attended the brief appearance.

Outside court, Crown prosecutor David Jardine said the conviction is the first of its kind in the country.

“To my knowledge there has been no other case in Canada where a lawyer has been charged – and now admitted – to participating in the activities of a criminal organization. So it is unprecedented from that point of view,” Jardine said.

He indicated in court he would be seeking a federal prison sentence for Mastop, which means longer than two years.

But he would not elaborate, saying he preferred to make his submissions before the sentencing judge.

Nor would he comment on the fact a member of the legal profession had admitted to working for a criminal organization.

“I think that will be part of my submissions to the trial judge when we make the pitch for what we think is the appropriate sentence,” Jardine said.

Asked why Mastop changed his plea, Jardine speculated that the conviction of all five gang killers, followed two days later by a ruling allowing into evidence intercepted telephone calls between the lawyer and members of the violent gang may have led to the change of heart.

“My guess is those two factors put together may have assisted the resolution of this matter,” Jardine said.

Under Mastop’s bail conditions, he is not allowed to practise law pending his sentencing hearing.

Jardine said it will be up to the Law Society of B.C. to decide whether he is disbarred permanently from the profession.

Law Society communications manager Robyn Crisanti said a disciplinary process will get underway as soon as Mastop is sentenced.

“We need to wait for sentencing and we need to wait for judge’s reasons just to allow this whole criminal component to conclude,” she said. “Then once that’s done, we’ll start our process and that may or may not involve a disciplinary hearing.”

The society has the ability to bypass a hearing and go straight to a discipline committee to decide Mastop’s fate.

”I am not saying we would do that in this case. We don’t have all the information yet, so it is far too early for me to say that,” Crisanti said.

“I think the important thing to note in this particular case is that he is barred from practising law and that continues at the moment and so from our perspective in terms of our mandate to protect the public, the public is protected.”

She said the type of criminal offence involved is a factor in the society’s decision.

“We consider the nature of what he’s pled guilty to in our decision. I can assure you it will be taken extremely seriously.”

Mastop didn’t respond to an email request for comment.

He has maintained his law office website since being charged in January 2010, though he posted this comment: “I regret to advise that pursuant to a court order, I have been prohibited from practising law.”

On the site, he says he grew up in the Vernon area and went to Simon Fraser University, where he earned a criminology degree in 1991. He was called to the B.C. bar in 1995 after studying law in Edmonton.

He tells clients that he specializes in criminal law, including “assaults, weapons offences, narcotics offences (including trafficking in cocaine, marijuana, crack cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and possession for the purpose of trafficking), robberies, home invasions and other criminal or provincial offences.”

“I do not act as a prosecutor or agent for the state,” he says.

Mastop, a noted marksman, also features a photo of himself firing a gun at a shooting range.

But under his bail conditions, he is banned from possessing firearms. Nor can he associate with any members of the Greeks gang or the Hells Angels.

Mastop owns a Vernon townhouse assessed at $214,000. The B.C. Attorney General’s legal services branch registered a $255,000 mortgage against Mastop’s property in October 2011, according to documents obtained by The Vancouver Sun.

Since the Nov. 25 conviction of five men connected to the Greeks, three of them – Dale Sipes, Leslie Podolski and Sheldon O’Donnell – have been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Two others – gang leader Peter Manolakos and associate Douglas Brownell – will be sentenced in January.

The Greeks were suspected in seven north Okanagan murders, but charges were only laid in the deaths of Dave Marnuik, Ron Thom and Thomas Bryce.

This was fully aired more than a year ago at the Greeks and was resolved to every one’s satisfaction. The lawyer agreed to switch gyms. It has come out now because there was a ban on the ruling until the conclusion of he trial last month.

Okay, okay stop the clock.
Vernon, you’re 5 minutes of fame are up. Time to go back to being a town where nobody has been or wants to go to. You guys in the Vernon city council reading this on the blog go back to your normal life of shopping at the general store and waiting for the monthly provisions and mail airlift to be parachuted down from the old ww2 propeller plane.

any chance the ban if off the Greek’s trial? I would love to read what was said there and who said it,the Greeks trial should have brought out a lot of interesting items from what really went on in Vernon.

Shame Shame, Mr Mastop an aroggant BULLY of a defense lawyer- Ive gone up against you in Provincial Court and won my argument, YOU were in a position of trust, YOU were very deceitful, darkening the doorways and staining Vernon’s good name. We see you walking up and down the streets of Armstrong still working in a law firm! Different rules for different folks of different status levels. If this was anyone else with out a law degree that did what you did it would be a completely different treatment and the book would be thrown at them.
You have wasted your education, shamed Vernon, and most certainly broke your vow of ethics!
Perhaps you need to ring the kettle bells, and cook a Christmas dinner for the homeless!

Why is anyone even surprised about a dirty lawyer? It’s part of the job description. They go to school for years to learn all the angles to be good at lying for a living. They learn how to bleed and play their clients. This mope isn’t the first and won’t be the last lawyer getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar

“The Criminal Law part is pretty self explanatory, and includes assaults, weapons offences, narcotics offences (including trafficking in cocaine, marijuana, crack cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and possession for the purpose of trafficking) , robberies, home invasions and other criminal or provincial offences.”

I like this one too hiw he says if you want a lawyer to be your confident you should find a friend rather than hire him;

Contact Information

Sometimes a client requires a lawyer to be at their desk at all times, ready to take that client’s calls throughout the day. That client should hire a lawyer who does Real Estate law, or Wills and Estates, or other Civil Litigation, since they are at their desks most of the time. That client should not hire me. If it is necessary to discuss the issues several times a day and to have someone available at all times, I recommend that the client immediately obtain a friend. I am a lawyer that does Criminal Law and Child Apprehension Law. I am usually in court for at least a part of each day. I return calls as best I’m able, and I give priority to the matters that are the most pressing. I may be reached as follows:

This guy sounds dirtier than a down town east side rubbies crackheads underwear. Read his bio if his website;

Background

Based in Vernon British Columbia, at the north end of the Okanagan Valley, I practise in the areas of Criminal Law and Child Apprehension Law. The Criminal Law part is pretty self explanatory, and includes assaults, weapons offences, narcotics offences (including trafficking in cocaine, marijuana, crack cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and possession for the purpose of trafficking) , robberies, home invasions and other criminal or provincial offences. Child Apprehension law includes only those cases where children have been taken from the parent or parents by the Ministry of Children and Families. It does not include custody disputes between parents. I act only on behalf of the accused or the parent. I do not act as a prosecutor or agent for the state.

I regularly conduct cases in Vernon, Kelowna and Salmon Arm. As well, I have conducted cases from time to time in Kamloops, Vancouver, and Calgary. The practise is a busy one, entailing trial work in several cities. It is a relatively rare day that I am not in court.

For the most part I grew up in the Vernon area, and completed a Bachelors degree in Criminology at Simon Fraser University in 1991. I then attended law school in Edmonton Alberta from 1991 through 1994. I articled with Robert F. DuMont (now deceased) at the firm of DuMont & Reif in Armstrong, B.C. immediately after law school, having worked there as a summer student in the year previous. Called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1995, I initially practised as an associate, and later a partner with the law firm of DuMont & Reif. In 1996, I acted as president of the Vernon Bar Association. In 2002 I left the partnership, and established my own practise. I am familiar with the area, and have a reputation for discussing matters in clear, down to earth, easy-to-understand terms.

Focus on Results

The focus of the firm is to provide assistance to clients that is efficient and cost effective, without unnecessary frills and duplication. I do a good job by my clients, and the vast majority of my business comes from either repeat clients, or referrals from other clients. Word of mouth is my best advertising. I think I may have the smallest ad in the phone book, and I don’t maintain an office, both of which work well since I’m in court most of the time anyway. If you want to receive a 4-page letter after each court appearance, setting out not only each thing that happened, but also each thing that could have happened, don’t hire me. I am however happy to explain what’s going on while we are there, or to take a few minutes afterwards.

Accounts and Billing

I am prepared to provide an estimate of the total cost at the earliest possible time. I am open and up front about costs, and there are no hidden charges. Fees for photocopies will not exceed fees for services. You are entitled to information concerning your account at all times. My fees are not cheap, but they are fair.

:He said that two days after the Greeks murder convictions, there was a ruling Nov. 27 allowing into evidence at Mastop’s trial interecepted telephone calls between the lawyer and members of the violent gang.”

Kim sorry if you mentioned it and I missed it but was he their attorney or just an attorney involved with the crew? If he was hired as their attorney wouldn’t the bit I quoted be illegal?

He was their lawyer at the time. Normally police couldn’t listen to or use intercepts like that. But because of other evidence of his criminal involvement, Crown went to court to fight for right to use those intercepts and won on Nov. 27.

It all sounds a little shady but I guess it is hard to say without knowing what evidence was presented to authorize the tap. I hope you do a follow up after the sentencing hearing, I figure the prosecutor will be looking for heavy years

Well..is in this the problem…solicitor client privilege..without this luxury there would lots of lawyers and law firms that would be out of commission..The challenge In this day and age of organized crime –corruption at all levels– Solicitor client privilege ought to be banned all together forever…transparency is the game changer…

Really makes you wonder who is above board and who is not. People were murdered and this goof was working with these guys. Makes me ill. Drug trade and money worth more than a life. Very wrong and sad.

here give him a call ,,,, sounds like he loves to chat : this is from his site !! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA

Contact Information

Sometimes a client requires a lawyer to be at their desk at all times, ready to take that client’s calls throughout the day. That client should hire a lawyer who does Real Estate law, or Wills and Estates, or other Civil Litigation, since they are at their desks most of the time. That client should not hire me. If it is necessary to discuss the issues several times a day and to have someone available at all times, I recommend that the client immediately obtain a friend. I am a lawyer that does Criminal Law and Child Apprehension Law. I am usually in court for at least a part of each day. I return calls as best I’m able, and I give priority to the matters that are the most pressing. I may be reached as follows: